Chair bumper



Patented Jan. 16, 1951 OFFICE.

2,538,634 CHAIR BUMPER William E. Vogelsang, Youngstown, Ohio, assigner to Webster B. Harpman, Poland, Ohio Application September 14, 1949, Serial No. 115,737

4 Claims. (01. 1551 78) This invention relates to a" chair bumper and more particularly to a chair bumper to be applied to the tubular supporting members associ ated with the backs of tubular chair constructions.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a chair bumper for positioning on the ends of tubular members associated with seat and back portions of chair constructions.

A further object of the invention is the pro-- vision of a chair bumper formed of resilient material for spacing the tubular members and back portions of a chair with respect to an adjoining wall surface.

' A still further object of the invention is the provision of a chair bumper for tubular chair constructions which is self-locating and self-positioning on the tubular members of the said chair.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a chair bumper for tubular chair constructions having sections distortable to conform with the shapeof theadjacent portions of the chair construction.

The chair bumper disclosed herein has been devised to form a practical and efiicient means of spacing the back portions of tubular chair con-= structions with respect to adjoining vertical wall surfaces. It is well known in the art that many and various types of kitchen or dinette chairs have been produced in the last few years utilizing pipe as the framing material bent so that the ends of the section of pipe stand vertically and hold the back portion of the chair while the intermediate sections of the pipe comprise framework supporting the seat and forming a pair of legs with a U-shaped inter-engaging member which is positioned on the supporting surface on which the chair is positioned.

It is also well known in the art that such chair constructions are particularly hazardous with respect to vertical wall surfaces against which the chairs may accidently come in contact. This is primarily true because of the'resilient nature 7 of such tubular chair constructions and the obvious engagement of the back portions and particularly the tubular metal end sections of the chair constructions with the vertical wall surface whereby the same is damaged.

The present invention, therefore, contemplates the provision of rubber or rubber-like bumpers which may be simply and easily positioned on the upper ends of the tubular framework of such chairs and secured thereby by compression of the te al itse f with the usual attachment means normally connecting the tubular framework with the back structure of the chair.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention. j

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein: a

Figure l is a perspective view of the back and side of a tubular chair construction showing the bumpers installed thereon.

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of the back of the chair shown in Fig. 1 and illustrating one of the bumpers in position thereon.

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

By referring to drawings and Fig. 1 in particular it will be seen that a tubular chair construction is disclosed which includes a framework having a pair of spaced vertically standing upright tubular sections IEI0 which are bent at right angles to form sections I I-i I positioned beneath a seat portion l2 of the chair. These same tubular members are again bent near the forward edge of the seat E2 to form vertically standing front legs l-3-l3 which are inter-connected by a continuous section of the tubular member generally indicated by the numeral M which forms a floor or other supporting surface engaging member. The seat portion 12 is secured to the horizontal sections ll of the tubular framework by suitable fasteners not shown and the uppermost ends of the vertical sections Ill-l0 of the tubular framework are secured to a back portion [5 as by screws I6 or other fasteners.

The back portion 15 is bowed transversely and a pair of bumpers I! are shown positioned over the upper ends of the tubular members In and partially positioned between these tubular memhere It and the back surface of the back member I5 of the chair.

By referring now to Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings enlarged detail views of one of the tubular members If! and one of the bumpers I! may be seen By referring to Fig. 2 in particular it will be observed that the upper surface of the bumpers H are triangular and that a portion of one of the depending parts thereof is positioned between the back l5 and the tubular member ID. It will be observed that the bumpers I! have a rearbumpers l1 vary from a relatively thick section adjacent their upper end to a relative thin section adjacent their lower end in which an opening 19 is formed. The opening 19 being of ap,-

proximately the diameter of the tubular member" l0 over which it is engaged. It will'besobservedthat a section 20 of the bumper H- are com pressed between the tubular member i0 and the. back l5 so that this normally transversely fiat' section of the triangularly shaped bumpers ll,.

as best shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, are distorted'r'to'j'conformthrough the-curved surface of the backhl5. of the chair on which the bumpers are installed. This samedistortion serves to frictionallyiposition the bumpers l I onthe chairconstruction so thatthey may; not be. removed therefrom: exceptiby the deliberate loosening of the screws" lfi heretofore referredto which position the b'ack l5 on the tubular members ID of the chair;

The bumpersl'lwillthus be seen to comprise efficient resilient members whichare. easily positioned onthe-tubular members l0 Ofthfi chair and self securing thereon hy'the'tightening of the screws ffi or other. fasteners: as used in: securing the back l5 tothe tubular members lilof the chair and further that' the bumpers H form attractive endclosures for the normally'opened endsof the tubular members. III in additioni'to serving their" protective functions.

It will 3 thus be seen I that the several objects of the invention are met by the chair bumpers shownand described' herein and that the same may 'be readily formed of rubber-like material as'by moulding the'same in various colors to canform' withthe finished colors of the 1 upholstery on'th'e ch airsto which they maybe applied and that'they may thus be ofibred to the public at reasonable prices to efiiciently protect both the chairs themselves from damage as well as vertical'wall surfaces against'which the same may be" accidently engaged.

Having thus described my invention what I claimis':

1. A chair bumper comprising a body member having a cavity therein open at the bottom thereof, the said body member having a thickened section extending outwardly therefrom and an oppositely disposed flattened area for engagement against the back of the chair when the said body member is positioned over a tubular upright supporting the. said. chair back.

2. A bumper for a tubular chair construction, the bumper comprising a body member having a cavity therein opening from the bottom thereof upwardly thereinto, the body member comprising a generally triangular member when viewed from above and having a rearwardly extending section increasing the efiective thick ness of the said triangular body member and forming a bumper for engagement with a vertical-surface adjacent a chair equipped with the said bumper.

3. Abumper for a. tubular chair construction, the said bumper comprising a triangular body member having a cavity opening upwardly therein from its lower surface and for registry over the upper end of a tubular member, at leastone section of the said triangular body member being distortable for distortion between the said tubular member and a chair back so as to frictionally retain the. said bumper on the said tubular member, and. a portion of the said triangular body member extending outwardly to form a wall engaging cushion.

4. The combination of a tubular chair construction including a tubular frame having ver-. tical uprights, aback member and a seat memher the. back member secured to the said vertical uprights by fasteners,'bumpers securedto the said uprights and covering their upper ends, the said bumpers comprising resilient body members generally triangular in cross section and having rearwardly extending sections forming cushion members, the said body members adapted to conform with the shape of'the. chairback-by distortion when positionedbetween the tubular body members and the chair back.

WILLIAME. VOGELSANG.-

REFERENCES CITED The. following references areof record, in'the file of this patent: 

